Hydraulic cylinders have a long history of use in regard to automobile and truck applications for actuation of brakes and clutches. Applications for hydraulic cylinders in motorcycles for actuating brakes and clutches are becoming more common, particularly in conjunction with the actuation of disk brakes.
One problem encountered in the use of prior art hydraulic cylinders particularly for motorcycles and other vehicles and equipment with hand-operated controls is the providing of a hydraulic fluid reservoir for the master cylinder. One approach in the field of motorcycles has been to mount a reservoir on the handlebars of the motorcycle and connect the reservoir to the hand-lever-operated hydraulic cylinder using a hydraulic line. This has not been completely satisfactory owing to the increase in the number of parts and the attendant increase in cost and maintenance requirements, the cluttering of the handlebar area and so forth. Annular reservoirs that surround the hydraulic cylinder likewise have been provided, but are less than satisfactory owing to their bulk.